Our Staff

CANADA

USC Canada 56 Sparks Street Suite 600 Ottawa, ON K1P 5B1

tel: (613) 234-6827 fax: (613) 234-6842 e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Executive Directors

Jane RabinowiczJane joined USC Canada in 2011, working with farmers and partners across the country to bring USC Canada’s innovative Seeds of Survival program home to Canada, through The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security. Jane is co-founder of the Silver Dollar Foundation, and was formerly Director of Development at Équiterre and Executive Director of Santropol Roulant. She has volunteered her time on the Boards of Directors of Centraide du Grand-Montréal, Food Secure Canada, Girls Action Foundation, and the Centre for Community Organizations. Jane became Executive Director of USC Canada in 2016, sharing the title with Martin Settle as a leadership team.

Martin SettlePassionate about social and economic justice, Marti has two decades of experience in social justice work particularly related to youth services, food sovereignty, and social housing in three provinces – Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario – and in England, where he helped establish a locally sourced hot meal program in Dorset Primary Schools. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant and was recruited to the USC Canada Board of Directors as Treasurer in 2009. He was (and still is) delighted to join the staff team in 2013 as Director of Finance and Human Resources. Marti became co-Executive Director of USC Canada along with Jane Rabinowicz in 2016.

Senior Management Team

Faris Ahmed Director, Policy & CampaignsFaris joined USC Canada in 2005 and leads policy work in close collaboration with ecological agriculture, biodiversity and food sovereignty networks in the South and in Canada. He is an active member of the civil society networks of the Committee for World Food Security (CFS), the CBD Alliance and Food Secure Canada. Faris has worked at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Oxfam, South Asia Partnership, and as a photographer/writer covering environmental issues. He holds an MA in International Development Studies from the University of Toronto.

Jeff de Jong Director, International ProgramsJeff joined the USC Canada team in September 2016. He holds an MBA and brings considerable knowledge on value-chain development, cooperative development and years of experience developing and managing strategic, operational and business processes involving smallholder farmers in Latin America and Africa. More recently he worked as a business advisor and team manager on a food security and climate resiliency agricultural project in Ethiopia.

Marie Dulude Senior Assistant to the Executive DirectorsMarie has been with USC Canada for more than 30 years, serving as translator, program manager, and now as Senior Assistant to the Executive Directors. She is also responsible for supporting the Board of Directors of USC Canada. One of her career highlights was her tenure as Program Manager in Ethiopia when the Seeds of Survival program was born more than 20 years ago. “Nothing can beat the experience of stepping into the village chief’s humble abode to request permission to visit with his villagers and to learn from them.”

Elodie L. Mantha Director, Communications and OutreachElodie joined USC Canada in 2014. She loves everything about USC Canada's mission and is passionate about giving Canadians a glimpse into the work of ecological farmers. With her team, Elodie helps USC Canada’s supporters shift the way we grow our food. She was on the Board of Just Food from 2011-2014, and previously worked for Equiterre and Environment Canada. Elodie has a M.A. in Public Policy and Administration from Carleton University and a B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and International Development from McGill.

Brian McFarlane Director, FundraisingBrian has been fundraising for worthy causes for almost twenty years, and was thrilled to join the USC Canada team back in 2006. With a B.A. in anthropology a diploma in marketing from McGill University, Brian loves helping USC Canada’s donors make the world a better place. He is a proud member of the The Ottawa Estate Planning Council and The Canadian Association of Gift Planners.

Staff

Katie Breen Program Manager, Education and OutreachKatie joined USC Canada in 2014. She has a Masters in plant ecology and a background in environmental science, education and program management. Katie works with the Communications and Outreach team to help connect Canadians with the work of USC Canada. She is a master gardener, a board member of the Ottawa Children’s Garden and loves to help kids get their green thumbs dirty. Katie developed USC Canada's Sow and Save resources for educators.

Kath G Clark Communications OfficerKath holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University. They have written for such outlets as the Ottawa Citizen, the Welland Tribune, Careers Options magazine and have freelanced for the IDRC. Kath worked for a time at Canadian Geographic magazine before joining the USC Canada team in 2014 where they, among other things, run the social media (follow/like USC Canada on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!), do graphic design, and curate the weekly news roundup, ICYMI Monday (sign up to receive it every week!). They live in Ottawa with some guitars and their 37 (and counting) houseplants.

Aabir DeyNational Program Manager and Western Ontario Coordinator for The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security Aabir developed his passion for seeds while he was at Everdale, and working on Seeds of Diversity's collection Canadian seed library. After completing a Master of Environmental Studies at York University, researching organic seed systems, Aabir joined The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, first as a regional coordinator, and now as one of the program's two national managers. He loves working in the field with seed producers a all over Canada, and is honoured to work with such an innovative and generous group of farmers and colleagues.

Nicholas Galambos Financial AnalystNicholas worked as Accounting Coordinator with USC Canada before stepping into the role of Financial Analyst in 2016. Nicholas has prior work experience in finance departments in numerous not-for-profit organizations in the Ottawa area. He obtained his undergraduate degree and his MBA from the University of Ottawa. In his free time, Nicholas’ interests include baking, travelling and running marathons.

Teresa Garavito Fundraising Systems AnalystTeresa is a Fundraising Systems Analyst at USC Canada. She joined the USC Canada fundraising team in 2002. She is responsible for the administration of the fundraising database and oversees the daily operations of processing donations. Teresa has a background in information systems and has worked mainly in the health sector and as an academic professor back in her home country, Colombia.

Marvin Gómez Latin America Regional FacilitatorMarvin is an agronomist and specialist in participatory research and plant genetic resources. He joined the USC Canada team as Latin America Regional Facilitator for the SoS program in 2015. Marvin has been seconded from the Foundation for Participatory Research with Honduran Farmers (Fundación para la Investigación Participativa con Agricultores de Honduras, FIPAH) where he has worked for more than 10 years and played an especially important role liaising with donors and other leading agricultural institutions in Honduras. He has also taken a lead on policy conversations in-country, regionally and internationally.

Kate Green Program Manager, AsiaKate has been the program manager for Asia at USC Canada for close to 20 years. In that time, she has focused on the work with farmers in Nepal, Bangladesh and Timor Leste and is quite well connected to the seed movement in Canada. She has degrees from Queen's, the University of East Anglia (UK) and Ryerson University. Outside of her work at USC Canada, Kate served on the board of Seeds of Diversity from 2012-2017, and she now volunteers with the Ottawa Seed Library.

Genevieve GrossenbacherPolicy & Campaigns Program ManagerDeeply committed to ecological agriculture, seeds, and social justice, Genevieve's career has always focused on building a more resilient and sustainable food system. Since joining USC Canada in 2010, Genevieve has been working with Faris Ahmed to support a shift towards agroecological practices, seed conservation and food sovereignty, both in Canada and internationally. Genevieve also co-manages Our Little Farm, a certified organic vegetable farm in Quebec, and co-chairs Food Secure Canada's New Farmer Initiative. She is past vice-president of Canadian Organic Growers.

Helen Jensen Quebec Regional Coordinator, The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security Coordinator; Scientific AdvisorLong fascinated by cultivated plant species, Helen studied on-farm seed conservation in Morocco for five years, as part of her PhD research at McGill University. She worked with farmers to conduct on-farm trials of local barley varieties and conducted participatory assessments of barley diversity. Previously, Helen worked with farmers on agroecology projects in the Philippines. She is deeply committed to agrobiodiversity conservation both in Canada and internationally.

Lise-Anne LéveilléProgram Manager, Latin AmericaLise-Anne is part of USC Canada’s international program team. Her passion for food justice and international solidarity makes her a strong supporter of the Seed of Survival program. She supported different projects in Latin America and West Africa and has a Master degree in International Development and Globalization from the University of Ottawa where she focused her research on food sovereignty.

Marie-Eve Levert National Program Manager and Eastern Ontario Coordinator for The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed SecurityMarie-Eve studied Canadian seed governance as part as her Master in Public Administration at the University of Ottawa. She joined USC Canada in 2017. Marie-Eve is active in the organic community. She currently serves as a member of the Organic Value Chain Roundtable (OVCRT), a forum that brings together the Organic industry and the federal government to discuss sectoral issues. Before joining USC Canada, Marie-Eve worked as the Director of International and Regulatory Affairs at the Canada Organic Trade Association where she worked on the development of policy strategies in the interest of the organic sector.

Hugo MartorellQuebec Regional Coordinator, The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security CoordinatorHugo is filling a one year maternity leave position at USC Canada. He holds a BA in political science at McGill University, and completed his masters degree at Concordia University’s interdisciplinary program, where he studied food policy and governance at municipal, provincial and federal levels. Over the years, he has nurtured his engagement with food and farming networks in Quebec through research, media, advocacy, teaching, facilitation and outreach. Hugo is active with the Montreal Food Strategy, and has worked nationally for the Eat, Think, Vote campaign organized by Food Secure Canada during the 2015 elections. He is passionate about (re)building the commons, and loves to grow, cook and share meals when he is not outside biking.

Marta Monaghan Fundraising AssistantMarta joined USC Canada in July, 2011 after many years in client services. She works with the fundraising team, taking on administrative duties and responding to donors’ inquiries. If you are a donor and have any questions, she would be happy to hear from you! Marta holds a BA in History from Carleton University.

Beatriz OliverProgram Manager, Latin AmericaBeatriz Oliver works on the Latin American Seeds of Survival program. She is a cultural anthropologist with specialization in participatory research and sustainable agriculture. She has worked with environmental and popular education groups in Canada and Latin America, and has been with USC Canada from 2005-2009 and 2015-present. Beatriz has a Ph.D. in anthropology from McGill University based on her research with agroecological cooperatives and food sovereignty networks in Uruguay, and has taught at the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies of the University of Ottawa.

Ibrahim OuédraogoRegional Facilitator, West AfricaIbrahim joined USC Canada 2016. He is an expert in agroecology, inclusive and sustainable value chains, and agricultural policy and farmers organizations. He is a founding board member of The Coalition for the Protection of African Genetic Heritage (COPAGEN), and has notable experience in participatory methodologies, monitoring and evaluation, cooperatives.

Denise Paradis Office Manager Denise came to USC Canada 15 years ago with a strong background in administration, meeting planning, website maintenance and desktop publishing, having worked for several non-profits throughout her career. Since joining the team, she has taken over the management of the office and premises, the IT network and equipment, the accounts payables and assists with the financial reporting for The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security.

Norbey Perez Fincance ClerkNorbey joined USC Canada in September 2016. He holds a Bachelor in Economics from the Universidad Central de Las Villas in Santa Clara, Cuba and he is currently pursuing a Chartered Professional Accountant designation with CPA Ontario. Having grown up in rural Cuba where agriculture is the primary industry, Norbey is passionate about the work that USC Canada does to support rural communities in developing countries to implement sustainable farming practices and attain food security..

Sylvie Perras Program Manager, West AfricaSylvie joined USC Canada in June 2013. Sylvie worked with the Canadian Council for International Co-operation as coordinator of the Africa-Canada Forum, a coalition of 40 Canadian civil society organizations with specific interests in development issues and social justice in sub-Saharan Africa. Prior, she was program manager for Latin America and West Africa at the social justice organization, Inter Pares. She brings to USC Canada her program management skills, policy knowledge and long-time experience in international development. Sylvie holds a Masters in international relations.

Paula Richardson Manager, Monitoring, Evaluation and LearningPaula is a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) specialist with a passion for using data to make a difference in project decision-making. She holds a Masters degree in International Affairs, an honours undergraduate degree in Development and Gender, and has undertaken further training on M&E and Program Management from IPDET, Humber College & the School of Oriental & African Affairs in London, UK. She has been managing, monitoring and evaluating development projects in Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean for more than 15 years. Paula is known as a dynamic trainer and has supported several non-profit organizations to improve their M&E systems including the Canadian Hunger Foundation, Plan International, Save the Children, World University Services of Canada, Aga Khan Foundation, Canadian Feed the Children and Humber College's Business School.

Pratap Kumar Shrestha, PhD Program Specialist, Seed Systems and Plant Genetic ResourcesPratap, formerly the Asia Regional Representative and Scientific Advisor, is our new Program Specialist on Seed Systems and Plant Genetic Resources. Dr. Shrestha has a PhD in Agricultural Economics focussed on participatory technology development and local knowledge systems. He has more than 15 years of experience in research and development on seed systems, on-farm, in-situ conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity.Nepal contact:PO Box 322, Pokhara, Kaski, NepalTel: +977-61-539941

Yann VergrieteProgram Manager, EthiopiaBefore joining the international program team, Yann had been coordinating The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security in Quebec. He holds an M.Sc. in Agroforestry from Laval University and has over 10 years experience in applied biological research around the world. Yann will support M&E of SoS African partners and is looking forward to support the adaptability of farming systems to climate change in the African context.

Daphne WellmanProgram Manager, Donor AdvisorDaphne has a B.Sc (Hon) in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto and is passionate about finding ways to work sustainably with nature, especially in the area of food production. In addition to knowledge about the farming sector, she brings over a decade of experience in fundraising. At USC Canada, she manages relationships with our donors - introducing them to the world of smallholder farming and working collaboratively with them to bring about change in our food production systems.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

USC CANADA – DOUENTZA PROGRAM (MALI)

Our field office in Mali:

Mr. Abdrahamane Goïta USC Canada Mali BP : 16 Douentza/Mopti/Mali

Program Director, Douentza/Mopti tel: 011 (223) 21 42 16 69 cell: 011 (223) 66 75 16 86/6679-4192 or 7625-9239 e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

We’re called USC Canada because we started out way back in 1945 as the Unitarian Service Committee, founded by the energetic Dr. Lotta Hitschmanova. We’re still planting the seeds that Lotta sowed. Find out more about our founder, Dr. Lotta Hitschmanova.

Newsletter

Thanks for signing up!

Become a supporter! Sign-up for Cybersprout, our monthly e-newsletter.